


Death Is The Cruelest Trick Of Them All

by 1JettaPug



Category: DCU, DCU (Comics), The Flash (Comics), The Flash (TV 2014), The Flash - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Denial, Depression, Family, Father-Son Relationship, Funeral, Grief/Mourning, One Shot, Sad, Self-Denial, Who Ordered The Angst With A Side Of Feels?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-30
Updated: 2017-11-30
Packaged: 2019-02-08 15:32:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 918
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12867600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1JettaPug/pseuds/1JettaPug
Summary: Rest. Resting... Yes, Axel told himself once more. His father was only resting his eyes. He would jump up any second and surprise him. Perhaps, he would throw a cream pie in his face, and they would all have a good laugh.





	Death Is The Cruelest Trick Of Them All

He had only taken one step. Yet every step he took felt like walking ten thousand miles on barbed wire. His feet were heavy, his eyes were red and his breath was coming in harsh raspy gulps. He couldn't handle it. He couldn't handle this. He couldn't. He just couldn't.

He took in a deep breath only to cast it out as he once more remembered his father releasing his last breath. He broke down all over again as the reality of the situation came crashing down him again.

He couldn't do it. He would break into a thousand pieces like a porcelain doll would as it met the floor. He would absolutely die the second his teary blue gaze landed on the polished coffin waiting for him.

The snowflakes danced gently across its sleek, black surface, softly like the lilt of his deep voice. His wonderful, calming, yet excitable and fun voice. Axel closed his eyes for a moment. For a second, he swore he could hear his father talking to him, as if he were still right by his side. His hand reached out to his side for a moment, expecting to grab onto the same jacket sleeve that was always right beside him. Instead, he reached out and his fingertips only met the cold, bitter air.

Someone grabbed his shoulder and told him it was time for final goodbyes. Axel folded in on himself a bit and bit down hard on his lip. 

The young Trickster hugged himself, shaking his head side to side, slowly. To say goodbye was to acknowledge that this was really happening... It wasn't of course, he told himself. Jesse was pulling a prank on him! Yes, yes. He would walk up to the coffin, and his father would pop right out and spook him! Oh, what a laugh they would have afterwards. Jesse would lay his hand on his shoulder and lead him to their favorite waffle place. Jesse would get a four-stack, whipped cream piled high and all the strawberries in the place. Axel would get himself chicken-and-waffles with hash-browns on the side. Yes. That was what was going to happen. Axel almost sighed in relief, thanking God that this was all a dream. After all, James Jesse- his father- could never ever die-

He took another step closer and his eyelids snapped wide open. His teeth bit down so hard into his lip that he drew blood. He groaned and nearly fell to the ground; Hartley and Lenny were standing by and caught him.

Axel might as well have died. From the open casket, the all-powerful, overwhelming scent of death struck him, violently. Axel would have thrown up if he had anything on his stomach. He hated- _hated_ \- that smell! That hospital smell! Latex gloves, bleached floors and that metallic scent clung tightly to the coffin.

Axel wanted to stomp his feet and start crying like a little four-year-old child. His father didn't smell like any of those things! He father smelled like cotton-candy, red licorice, explosives and gun powder! Jesse would have hated this! He would have hated all of this, and he would have burned the whole damn funeral down to the ground! He wouldn't have stood it!

The young Trickster fell to his knees and sobbed loudly. "J... Jesse w.. wouldn’t h.. h... have wanted th... t.. this..." he cried. "H... He did... di.... didn't want..." His words got caught in his throat as he eyed the coffin once more.

An ocean of tears began to fall from Axel's eyes. He had cried before, yes. Now, though, he was certain he had enough tears to drown the whole world and himself in them. He licked his lips only to find that his mouth was dry. His heartbeat was pounding oh so loudly in his ears. Now the coffin was so close that if he balanced on his toes, he would see his father's body at rest.

Rest. Resting... Yes, Axel told himself once more. His father was only resting his eyes. He would jump up any second and surprise him. Perhaps, he would throw a cream pie in his face, and they would all have a good laugh. Only... Axel looked around at the others for a moment. Why wasn't anyone getting out a camera and getting ready to capture the moment? This would be the perfect moment for Jesse to get up. Yes, just as Axel was starting to actually believe that his father was really dea-

Axel looked down at his hands. He had drawn blood by harshly digging his nails into his palms. 

Finally, Axel tore his gaze from his bloodied hands and stepped right in front of the coffin. He drew in a deep breath.

This man...

This man was not his father. This man was dressed in a simple blue suit and tie. This man was not wearing his father's outfit. He wasn't wearing any version of his father's outfit! He _wasn't smiling! His faTHER ALWAYS **SMILED!! HIS FATHER HAD COLOR IN HIS CHEEKS AND A WARM, WELCOMING AURA AROUND HIM!! THIS MAN WAS NOT HIS FATHER!! THIS MAN WAS NOT HIS FATHER!! THIS MAN-**_

"Daddy...! Please...! Open your eyes and smile at me." Axel whispered ever so softly. He stroked the corpse's cold cheek. "Don't trick me like this, daddy. Ple... Please...! I... I... can't... can't lose you aga.. again...! We alre... already lost mommy." He fell onto his father, grasping him with both arms and sobbing loudly. " _Please...!_ "


End file.
